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Use this free thermostat savings calculator to see how much you could save by turning the heat down at night or while you’re away. Enter your winter heating bill and your thermostat schedule, and you’ll get an estimate of your savings per month, per year, and over 10 years.
How much could a thermostat setback save you?
Enter your winter heating bill and your thermostat schedule. Works for gas, electric, propane, or oil heat.
Your heating bill
Your thermostat
Heat pump? Big setbacks can make some heat pumps switch on their backup electric heat to warm back up, which can cancel out the savings. Use a smaller setback or a thermostat with a heat pump setting.
An estimate based on U.S. Department of Energy guidance that setting your thermostat back 7–10°F for 8 hours a day can save up to 10% a year on heating. Real savings depend on your home, climate, and fuel prices.
| Setback | Est. savings | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| 3°F | 3% | $23 |
| 5°F | 5% | $38 |
| 7°F | 7% | $53 |
| 8°F | 8% | $60 |
| 10°F | 10% | $75 |
Enter your own bill and schedule above for a personal estimate.
How to Use the Thermostat Savings Calculator
The thermostat savings calculator works in 3 easy steps:
- Enter your heating bill. Use your average monthly bill during the coldest months, not your yearly average, since summer bills don’t include heating. Your utility’s online account usually shows a month-by-month history.
- Enter your heating season. In central Indiana, the furnace runs hard from about November through March, so 5 months is a good starting point.
- Enter your schedule. Put in your normal temperature, the lower temperature you’d set back to, and how many hours a day the setback lasts, both at night and while you’re out of the house.
The result shows your estimated savings per year, per winter month, and over 10 years, plus the percentage of your heating bill a thermostat setback could save.
How Much Does a Thermostat Setback Really Save?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, setting your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day, while you’re asleep or away, can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating. That works out to roughly 1 percent of your heating bill for each degree, for each 8 hours of setback, which is how the calculator figures your estimate. Source: U.S. Department of Energy — Six Simple Steps to Save Energy and Money This Winter
The calculator caps its estimate at 15 percent so very long or very deep setbacks aren’t overstated. Your real savings depend on how well your house is insulated, how cold your winter is, and what you pay for gas or electricity.
Why a Thermostat Setback Saves Money
Your house loses heat faster when the difference between the inside and outside temperature is bigger. When you turn the thermostat down, the house leaks heat more slowly, and the furnace runs less while you’re asleep or away. It does run for a while to warm the house back up, but that usually uses less energy than holding the higher temperature all night.
The easiest way to make a thermostat setback happen every day is a programmable or smart thermostat that lowers the heat on a schedule, so you don’t have to remember. Set it once in the fall and let it run all winter.
Heat Pumps and Big Setbacks
If your home has a heat pump instead of a furnace, be careful with large setbacks. When a heat pump has to warm the house back up by many degrees, some systems switch on their backup electric heat, which costs much more to run and can cancel out what you saved overnight. Use a smaller setback of a few degrees, or a thermostat with a heat pump setting that warms the house gradually. If you’re not sure how your system works, ask your HVAC technician at your next tune-up.
More Ways to Cut Your Winter Heating Bill
A thermostat setback is one of the cheapest ways to save, and it works even better when the house holds onto its heat:
- Seal drafty windows and doors. The Department of Energy calls weatherstripping and caulking low-cost ways to cut air leaks. Fresh foam weatherstripping and a bead of caulk fix most drafts in an afternoon.
- Our guide on how to seal windows and doors for winter covers each fix.
- Change the furnace filter. A clogged filter makes the furnace work harder. See how to choose a furnace filter.
- Keep the humidity right. Air at 30 to 40 percent humidity feels warmer than very dry air, so you can be comfortable at a lower setting. Our guide on indoor humidity in winter explains how.
For the full list, see our winter home maintenance checklist.
Heating with a wood stove? Our firewood calculator tells you how many cords to buy for the winter.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Thermostat Savings Calculator
How much money does turning down the thermostat save?
The Department of Energy says turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save up to 10 percent a year on heating. On a $750 winter heating bill, an 8-degree nightly setback saves about $60 a year. Enter your own numbers in the thermostat savings calculator above for a personal estimate.
What temperature should I set my thermostat at night in winter?
Many people set it 7 to 10 degrees lower than their daytime temperature while they sleep. If you keep the house at 68 or 70 during the day, 60 to 62 at night is a common thermostat setback. Use extra blankets and set it to warm back up shortly before you wake.
Does it cost more to reheat the house in the morning?
Usually not. The furnace does run to warm the house back up, but because the house loses heat more slowly at a lower temperature, you save more overnight than you spend reheating. Heat pumps are the main exception, since some switch to expensive backup heat after a big setback.
Is a smart thermostat worth it?
For most people, yes, because it makes the setback automatic. A thermostat setback only saves money if it happens every day, and a programmable or smart thermostat does it on schedule without anyone remembering to turn the dial.
Should I set the thermostat back while I’m at work?
Yes, if the house is empty for several hours. A daytime setback while you’re away adds to your nighttime savings. Enter your away hours in the calculator to see how much it adds.